Farmstead Goat's Milk Cinnamon Caramel

This rich, traditional , or goat's milk caramel, is handmade in Vermont by Fat Toad Farm, a small, family owned and operated goat dairy run by husband and wife team Judith Irving and Steve Reid and their daughters Calley and Hannah. The family has spent the last seven years building a high-quality herd of French Alpine milking goats and perfecting the art of caramel making.

Fat Toad Farm's Cinnamon Caramel is a perfect combination of fresh goat's milk and organic cane sugar, boiled to perfection with the warm spice of organic cinnamon sticks. The resulting caramel is delectable drizzled over apple desserts or ice cream, and adds wonderful richness to a piping hot cup of coffee!

Fat Toad Farm lies in the hills of Central Vermont. One of the first producers of artisanal cajeta, a traditional Mexican caramel made from goat's milk, Fat Toad Farm is run by husband and wife team Steve Reid and Judith Irving and their daughters Calley Hastings and Hanna Reid. The family has spent the last seven years building a high-quality herd of French Alpine milking goats and perfecting the art of caramel making.

Fat Toad's Goat's Milk Caramel Sauces are the result of combining a small number of fresh, simple ingredients and about 6 hours of hand-stirring. During this time, both the sugars in the goat's milk and the organic cane sugar caramelize to produce the creamy, velvety, but not-too-sweet caramel sauce.

the whole caramel-making process starts with two simple ingredients - sun and soil. The combination of the two produce a high quality pasture, a staple of the goats' diet. The goats are moved to a new pasture every day from May until November on the 30 acres of green Vermont pastures surrounding the farm. The goats are milked twice a day.

After the organic sugar is fully dissolved, either vanilla beans or cinnamon sticks are added to the bubbling pots. The beans and sticks are boiled with the milk, infusing it with warm, spicy flavors until they are strained out at the end. For the Salted Bourbon, Kentucky Straight Bourbon is added at the end of the caramelization process when the caramel is 220 degrees and capable of burning off the alcohol in the bourbon immediately. What's left is the bourbon's smooth, smoky undertones, with hints of honey, butter, and dark fruit - enhanced by a pinch of organic sea salt.

Each batch of caramel takes about six hours to produce. The goat's milk and organic cane sugar are hand-stirred during this time in copper cauldrons over high heat. About an hour into the process the milk begins to froth. Much of the water is evaporated during the process, allowing the sugars to brown. The result is a caramel sauce with perfect consistency and flavor.

Finally, each jar is hand-filled and hand-labeled. A true labor of love!